Essential reading for IT professionals with aspirations toward the top IT spot, and for sitting CIOs looking to refine their mobile, social and cloud strategies and knowledge.
The definitive work on how to achieve leadership success in IT, Straight to the Top, Second Edition reveals how the role of the CIO is changing due to major trends associated with consumer and enterprise products and technologies driving new mobile solutions in today's organizations; cloud computing and the move away from controlled / internally managed data centers to pay as you use and elastic cloud infrastructure and application services; and the impact social media is having on today's complex organizations.
Author Gregory S. Smith expertly coaches existing and aspiring CIOs on building the requisite skills through his observations and experience as a veteran CIO with more than twenty-five years of experience leading IT teams and delivering complex technical solutions in the information technology field.
Providing an organized and comprehensive view of the CIO job and its important role in modern organizations, Straight to the Top, Second Edition equips sitting CIOs and CIO candidates with the strategies and knowledge necessary to be successful in the new business normal - a mobile, social and cloud-based world, and how to provide technology leadership as a world-class CIO.
Key Features
- An invaluable guide to help information technology and business professionals recognize the qualities, skills, and expertise necessary to attain the role of a CIO or enhance the skills for sitting CIOs.
- Equips IT managers, CIOs, and CTOs to strategically plan their career moves.
- Packed with encouragement, advice, and essential skills for aspiring and sitting CIOs.
- Features interviews with leading IT professionals, CIOs, and executive recruiting professionals.
Contents
Part one—Key Change Drivers and Trends Impacting the CIO Role Today - Chapter 1 Why the Role of the CIO Continues to Change
- Chapter 2 Technologies and Trends Driving Today’s IT Innovation
- Chapter 3 IT Standards and Governance and the Impact of Consumer Devices
- Chapter 4 Service Level Agreements: A Key to Improved Customer Expectations and Better Contracts
- Chapter 5 Today’s CIO: The Teacher to the C-Suite
Part two—The Modern-Day CIO 101
- Chapter 6 What Executive Recruiters Are Looking for, from Consulting Experience to Leadership Skills
- Chapter 7 Cloud Computing Strategies and Risks
- Chapter 8 The Consumerization of IT
- Chapter 9 Social Media Changes Everything
- Chapter 10 What’s after the CIO Role?
- Index
Praise for Straight to the Top 2nd Edition
- "There was a time when getting to the CIO seat took a lot of hard work, a little bit of career risk, the ability to connect with people around you, surrounding yourself with the most talented people who are passionate about the same things you are, the ability to deliver the solutions that matter, and the grace of God. Gregory has added another tool and a fresh perspective on the role of the CIO. The climb to CIO is still not easy, but there is good practical advice and guidance for those making the climb and those who want to stay there." —Ed Anderson, Global CIO, World Vision International
- "Whether you aspire to be a CIO, are already a CIO, or possibly another type of business leader who just wants to leverage the power of information to give your company a competitive advantage, this is a great read. Gregory's insights will help keep your innovative juices flowing." —Earl Monsour, Director, Strategic Information Technologies, Maricopa Community College District
- "The CIO role is one of the most challenging executive positions, and it is only getting tougher. With data moving closer to the revenue stream of nearly every industry, CIOs are responsible for innovation, operations, cost containment, security, and product development—a heady brew! In the second edition to his excellent book, Gregory Smith addresses the evolution of the CIO role and, in an engaging writing style, provides guidance to IT leaders who aspire to CIO greatness." —Martha Heller, President, Heller Search Associates, LLC; author of The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership
- "Straight to the Top is a visionary's look at what aspiring and current CIOs must do to succeed in the new mobile, social, and cloud-based world. Smith's book is not just for future and current IT leaders, but a must-read for all CEOs before they hire their next CIO." —Anne C. Topp, Vice President and CIO, World Wildlife Fund
- "This book offers a rare combination of advice to both CIOs and aspiring CIOs alike, advice on how to develop and hone their skills as well as how to deal with some of the thornier issues afflicting IT organizations today. [Smith's] advice is sound, straightforward, practical, and based on his personal experience and successful tenure as a CIO at leading organizations." —Josh Jewett, CIO, Family Dollar, Inc.
About the Authors
- GREGORY S. SMITH currently serves as a CIO for an organization in the Washington, DC, area. He previously served for nine years as the vice president and chief information officer (CIO) at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Washington, DC. Mr. Smith is the author of How to Protect Your Children on the Internet: A Road Map for Parents and Teachers and Straight to the Top: Becoming a World-Class CIO. He has published many articles over his career, including "Talking at the Top of the World" in CIO magazine, along with a variety of technology and business topics in Forbes, eWeek, and Computerworld. Mr. Smith received a BS in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MS in business from The Johns Hopkins University, where he also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Carey Business School graduate programs.
Book Details
- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (March 25, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1118390032
- ISBN-13: 978-1118390030
- Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.9 x 9.8 inches
- List Price: $49.95